Recording machine



Sept. 2, 1941. M, 5, MARKLEY ET A 2,254,661

RECORDING MACHINE Filed April 2'7, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR-S.

M yron l7. Mar/Flay, 4 3b BY Jose vb P1. Mar/(k 40i? WATTORNEY,

Sept. 2, 1941. M. D. MARKLEY ET AL RECORDING MACHINE Filed April 27,1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS Myron Z7. Mar/Hey Jose v7? M Morkiey- JPatented Sept Z, 1941 Y naconnmc mourns Myron D. Markley and Joseph M.Markley, Jr., Canton, Ohio Application April 27, 1939, Serial No.270,294

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a recording machine which is capable ofrecording mileage and time in the operation of a vehicle, whereby thedistance traveled, the time consumed during travel from place to placeand the time elapsing between stops. of the vehicle are accuratelyrecorded on a paper strip or web.

While such recorded information is or may be useful to the driver, it isparticularly useful where the vehicle is loaned to and operated by anemployee, to permit the employer to keep account of the operations ofthe vehicle, as well as to secure an accurate and definite recordthereof, whereby the duties or work assigned to the employee may bechecked and the employee cannot make personal use of the vehicle withoutdetection.

- In machines of this type wherein the operations thereof have beeneffected by means of electric devices, of which we have knowledge,difllculty has been experienced in securing quick and accurate operationof the recording disks due to the failure of the switch elements toeffectively control the electric circuits or the operating means forcontrolling the switch elements to operate accurately. -In machines ofthis type it is desirable to provide a substantially instant closing andopening of the switch to avoid delayed action and/or arcing, and wherethe switch is operated or controlled by a clock or time mechanism thelatter must be free to operate accurately, to insure accurate timerecording by the recording disks.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved switch for anelectric circuit and operating means therefor, whereby the contacts arecontrolled to effect a quick make and break operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved switch andoperating means therefor arranged to be actuated by a time mechanism andconstructed so as to eliminate danger of retardation of the timemechanism.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in theart to which our invention relates from the following description takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a sideelevation of a recording machine, showing the operating mechanism forthe time recording disks and other parts of the machine, the casingbeing shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the time mocha the switch and operatingmeans therefor in driving relation to the time mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section onthe line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4a. is a fragmentary section on the lineFig. 5 is a front view of the time mechanism on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the switch and its operatingmember.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the switch and its operating member,enlarged.

Fig. 9 is a diagram.

In the drawings, l indicates as an entirety the mechanism (a) fortotalling the number of miles traveled by a vehicle, (2)) for indicatingthe time of day and (c), for printing the time and mileage on a paperstrip or web. 2 indicates as an entirety a time mechanism. The mechanisml is mounted in a casing la, which may be mounted on'any part of thevehicle (a portion of whichits instrument boardis shown at A), butpreferably in aposition whereby access within the casing la. may takeplace from time to time to mount a roll of paper B, on which the mileageand time are recorded; also detachment of portions of the paper stripcarrying the recorded data. The time mechanism 2 may also be mounted onany part of the vehicle, for example on the instrument board- A thereof.In this arrangement the time mechanism 2 may be utilized as a clock forthe driver (see FigI 5). The mountings for the mechanism l and timemechanism 2 should be such as to prevent tampering or sealed to preventunauthorized access thereto for obvious reasons.

The mechanism I consists of the following: 3 indicates a base on whichare mounted standards 4 (one only being shown), which remov-- ablysupport a shaft (1. The paper roll B is mounted on the shaft la, thepaper strip drawn therefrom being guided by a roller 5, loosely mountedon standards 8 on the base 3, to a platen I, the latter being preferablyin the form of a roll, which also serves as a feed means for the paperstrip, as later set forth. From the platen 1, the paper strip feedsthrough a hollow guide 8, which extends through the base 3, so thatportions of the strip may be detached from time to time. 9 indicates aframe, supported on the base 3 above the platen I by suitable standards,one thereof being shown at H). The frame nism, parts thereof beingbroken away to show 9 consists of side plates and an intermediate plateit) supported in spaced relation by certain shafts forming parts of themechanism and cross roads certain of which are secured in position byscrews II, 2. It indicates a set of numbercarryin disks loosely mountedon a shaft |3a (see Fig. 9), which is held in position by the screw l2,the disks being drivingly connected in a well known manner, whereby therevolution of one operates the adjacent disk to indicate the accumulatedmileage. The disk carrying the units is drivingly connected to a shaftH, which is supported at its outer end by a bracket Ila. The shaft I4 isprovided with a worm gear I! in mesh with aworm Ito, which is fixed to ashaft It. The shaft Ii leads through the base 3 and is drivinglyconnected to a rotating part of the vehicle transmission, whereby thetravel of the vehicle is transmitted to the disks II. The disks II areso set and related that those numbers thereon which are in opposedrelation to the platen I indicate at all times the accumulated mileage.N indicates the disks carrying numbersrepresenting the minutes and hoursof a day period and a. m. and p. m., loosely mounted on the shaft I31:and suitably connected, whereby the angular movement of one controls theangular movement of the adjacent disk, the disks being actuated andcontrolled by the time mechanism 2, as later set forth, and so set andrelated that those numbers and letters thereon in opposed relation tothe platen I always indicate the time of day corresponding to the timeindicated by the time mechanism 2. The outermost time disk is providedwith a gear I8 in mesh with a gear l9 fixed to a shaft 22, which issupported by the adjacent plate Ila and plate Oh. Oh the outer side ofthe adjacent plate to the shaft is provided with a ratchet wheel 2|,arranged to be engaged and operated by a dog 22, whereby each operationof the latter operates the ratchet wheel 2| the distance of one tooth(counterclockwise as viewed in Figs. 1 and 4a) and the latter throughthe shaft 20 and gears It. It, rotates the outermost or end time disk tomove the succeeding unit thereon into printing position. The dog 22 ispreferably pivoted on a link 23 which is swingably mounted on the outerend portion of the shaft 20, and normally urged into engagement with theratchet wheel 2| by a spring 24.

The outer end of the link 23 is pivotally connected to the outer end ofa link 25, the inner end of which is connected to the core 20 of asolenoid 21. The solenoid is suitably mounted on the adjacent plate to,and when its coil is energized by the closing of a circuit 28, as laterset forth, the core 2! is moved upwardly and through the links 25 and21, and-the dog 22, rotates the ratchet wheel 2| the distance of onetooth; and upon de-energization of the solenoid coil, the core 26gravitates downwardly to position the dog 22 in operative relation tothe succeeding tooth on the ratchet wheel 2|, such downward movementbeing limited by a stop 23a. A strip 29 formed of resilient material andsuitably mounted at its inner end on the plate so adjacent to theratchet wheel 2|, is provided at its outer end with a laterallyextending portion which rides on the teeth of the ratchet wheel whenrotated and is arranged to lie behind each tooth thereof to preventmovement thereof clockwise.

The platen I freely rotates on a shaft 30 suitably mounted at itsopposite ends in spaced side members 3| (one only being shown) which aremounted on the base 3 to move the platen I each thereof is pivotallyconnected to the outer ends of a pair of parallel links 33, 33a, theupper links 33 being pivoted at their inner ends on the shaft 5 and thelower links 3341 being suitably fixed to a shaft 34 mounted at itsopposite ends in the standards 8. The shaft 34 has fixed to it an arm35, which is pivotally connected by a link 35a to the armature 38 of anelectro-magnet 31 mounted on the base 3. The platen I is normallydisposed in the position shown in Fig. l, with the lower ends of theside members 3| resting on a cross bar 38 and the armature 28 ininoperative relation to the coil of the electromagnet 31, so that uponenergization of the electro-magnet coil, the movement of the armature 38through the link 35a, arm I, shaft 34 and links 33, 33a, will impart aquick upward movement to the platen I and thus effect printing from thedisks I3 and II upon the paper strip. Upon de-energization of theelectromagnet coil, the platen I gravitates to its normal position. Insuch return movement of the platen, a ratchet wheel 38 fixed and axiallyrelated to one end of the platen I is engaged by a pawl 39, the effectof which is to rotate the platen a predetermined distance(counter-clockwise as viewed in Fig. 1) so as to feed the paper slots 40to receive and slidably support the opposite ends of a shaft 4| looselycarrying a roller 42. The roller I2 is normally biased toward the platenI by springs connected to the opposite endsof the shaft ll, to securethe paper strip thereto so that the latter moves with the platen when itis rotated by the pawl 29, as above set forth. One end of the shaft IIhas pivoted to it an arm 42, whichsupports on its outer end a lockingdevice, preferably a roller 44, arranged to engage the teeth of theratchet wheel 38, being normally biased into such engagement by a springconnected to the arm ll and the adjacent extension Ila. The roller 44serves to prevent rotation of the platen I during its upstroke androtation thereof clockwise. The pawl 39 is pivotally mounted on the base2 and provided with laterally extending wall "a which is engaged by aspring 39b, the latter operating normally to maintain the pawl inengagement with the ratchet wheel 38. It will be noted that when thepaper strip is grasped and pulled outwardly through the guide 8preparatory to detaching a portion thereof, which operation serves torotate the platen I, the roller H and pawl 39 ride the teeth of theratchet wheel 38.

The circuit 310. for the electro-magnet 31 is not shown, but the switchtherefor may be of any suitable construction and operated by a hand orfoot lever, such as shown in the co-pending application filed by JosephM. Markley, Jr. (one of the applicants herein), on July 11, 1935, SerialNo 30,911, now Patent No. 2,159,727 granted on May 23, 1939, or operatedby or incorporated with some device for controlling the vehicle, forexample, the ignition switch.

The inked ribbon 32 is mounted on spools 22a suitably mounted on andbetween the frame plates 9a and is wound from one spool to the other andreversed by any suitable feed and reversing mechanism, which is notshown as it forms no part of the presentinvention. The ribbon is guidedfrom the spools 32a by rollers 32!) loosely mounted on shafts $20 so asto feed it below and relative to the disks l3 and I1.

The time mechanism 2 is constructed in any desired manner, the formshown in Figs. 2, 3 and 5 being operated by a spring which is wound upby a device 46 and the hands maybe set and reset by a device 45a.

Provision may be made to seal the devices 46, 45a, and easing la so thatthe devices and mechanisms within the casing cannot be operated ortampered with by anyone not so authorized. The sealing means are notshown as the same form nopart of the present invention.

The mechanisms so far described in themselves form no part of ourinvention and may be of any desired construction, except that the shaft2' for the minute hand 2a is provided with or drivingly connected to acam 41 for operating and controlling a switch, indicated as an entiretyat 48 for closing and opening the circuit 28. By preference the cam 41is suitably fixed to the outer end portion of a shaft 49 mounted in therear wall of the casing for the time mechanism 2. The inner end of theshaft extends within the casing and is provided with a gear 490. in meshwith a pinion 49b, which is fixed to the shaft 2',

the ratio of the gear and pinion being arranged to rotate the cam 41 atthe same speed as the shaft 2' so as to make one complete revolutioneach minute to thereby close the circuit 28 and automatically, throughthe electro-magnet 21 and pawl and ratchet devices operated thereby, tomove the time disks |1 one step to indicate the time change by minutes.The switch 48 comprises a pair of resilient contact carrying, conductorplates or strips 5|, 5|a, suitably fixed at their inner ends to theopposite faces of a block 52 formed of insulating material and extendtherefrom for engagement with and control by the cam 41. In this form ofmounting the strips are in opposed, spaced relation and being formed ofresilient material, they may be flexed on transverse lines in the samedirection and put under tension by the cam 41, while maintaining thecontacts (later referred to) thereon in disengaged relation andseparately controlled, as later set forth, one relative to the other, ineach cycle of operation. The switch and cam are preferably enclosed in ahousing 480.. The block 52 is provided with a base 52a, which ispreferably secured by screws to the casing for the time mechanism 2. Bypreference the plates 5|, 5|a, are secured to the block 52 by terminals53, 53a, to which the leadsfor the circuit 28 are connected. Eachterminal 53, 53a, consists of a bolt, having its head engaged with onestrip, extending through it, an insulation bushing mounted in a throughopening formed in the block 52 and the other strip, the end of thebushing remote from the bolt head being flanged and engaged by nuts,between which the adjacent lead is clamped, whereby the other strip isinsulated from the terminal and both strips are secured to the block 52by the bolt and nuts thereon. In this arrangement each strip is securedto the block by both terminal; 53, 53a, and the leads are electricallyconnecte through the terminals to the strips at opposite sides of theblock 52. The strips 5|, 5| a, are provided on their opposed faces withcontacts 54 normally disengaged as shown in Fig. '1, but arranged to bemomentarily engaged in each rotation of the cam 41 to close the circuit28. As

shown in Figs. 6 and 8, the outer end'portion.

of the conductor strip 5| is cut away at one side as shown at'5|a:,- toform an extension 5| arranged to ride' on the surfaces of the cam 41 andthe outer end portion of the conductor strip 5|a is cut away, as shownat 5|:c, at that side thereof opposite to the cut away side 5|:z: of thestrip 5| to form an extension 5|a, the interme diate portion of which isbent downwardly and outwardly to dispose its outer end portion orextension 5|a' in the plane of and in side by side relation to theextension 5| so as to ride on the surfaces of the cam 41, the free endof the extension 5| projecting beyond the free end of the extension5|a', as shown in Figs. 6 and 8, for a purpose which will later appear.The cam 41 has a surface 41a substantially concentric to the shaft 49and a contiguous extended surface 411) which is eccentric to the shaft49 and terminates at one side of the cam to form a shoulder 410 betweenthe terminating edge of the cam surface I 41b and the cam surface 41a.As will be understood, the extensions 5|, 5|a, ride on the cam surfaces.41a, 411), as the cam 41 rotates and during such movement of the cam thestrips 5|, 5|a, are supported in substantially normal position as theyride the surface m and flexed upwardly and put under spring tension asthey ride the eccentric surface 411), with the contacts 54 maintaineddisengaged, and as the extension 5|a rides off the terminating edge ofthe cam surface 41b the strip 5|a springs toward its normal positionwith a snap action and effects engagement of the contacts 54 (see Fig.3) and closing of the circuit 28, and following engagement of thecontacts 54 the extension 5| rides off the terminating edge of camsurface 41b and springs with a snap action back to its normal positionthereby permitting the strip 5|a to move to its normal position andeffecting by such movement a quick disengagement of the strips to breakthe circuit (see Fig. 7) The projection of the extension 5| beyond theextension 5|a' provides for this successive make and break or engagementand disengagement operation. As shown in Fig. 3, the extension 5| whileriding the cam surface 41b, following the release of the extension 5|a'therefrom, is flexed upwardly sufficiently to support the stripextension 5|a through the contacts 54 out of engagement with the camsurface 41a to insure a positive contact of the contacts one with theother, and upon release of the extension 5| from the cam surface 411)and breaking of the circuit 28 both extensions 5|, 5|a', engage the camsurface 41a ready for the succeeding operation. By preference, the sidewall of the shoulder 410 is inclined rearwardly relative to theterminating edge of the cam surface 41b to insure free snap-actionmovement of the extensions 5|, 5|a, when released from the cam surface41b. As the cam 41 makes one revolution per minute, it will be seen thatthe time interval during which the contacts 54 are engaged is relativelyshort, but such interval may be lengthened or shortened by varying thelength of the extension 5| relative to that of the extension 5|a. Due tothe fact that the major portion of the cam 41 is concentric to the shaft49 and is related to the supporting block 52 so as to permit the strips5|, 5|a, to be supported thereby in their normal position,

that is, under slight tension, very little friction results during theriding of the extensions 5|, Ma, on the cam surface "a, and as the camsurface 41b has a short throw relative to the shaft 0, the frictionthereon during the riding of the extensions on the cam surface "b isminimized, so that danger of retarding the operation of the timemechanism, whereby inaccuracy thereof in keeping time would result; iseliminated.

In the arrangement shown, the current for the circuit 28 may be suppliedfrom the batteries which supply current to the ignition system for thevehicle or by separate batteries.

Fig. 9 shows a modified form of construction, somewhat diagrammaticallywherein the time mechanism 2:: is of the electric type, the currenttherefor being supplied by batteries C, either the batteries for theignition system for the vehicle or separately installed batteries; butthe time mechanism may be operated by a spring which is woundautomatically by electrically operated means.

To those skilled in the art to which our invention relates many changesin construction and widely difl'ering embodiments and applications ofthe invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention. Our disclosures and the description hereinare purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any senselimiting.

While our form of switch and switch operating means has specialadvantages when combined with and operated by a time mechanism, such asthe works of a clock mechanism, to intermittently operate a remotedevice, illustrated herein as consisting of a number carrying, rotatabledisk for a registering mechanism, such switch and switch operating meansmay be otherwise employed to intermittently operate a movable member orwhere the revolutions of a shaft or movements of a part drivinglyconnected with the shaft are to be counted and/or recorded.

For example, a cam similar to the cam 41 may be drivingly connected tothe vehicle transmission and a separateswitch l8, circuit 28, solenoid21 and pawl and ratchet mechanism operated by the latter may be arrangedto operate the mileage disks l3.

It will also be noted that since the extensions 5|, ila, of theconductors are disposed in side by side relation, successive release ofthe extensions may be provided for by making them of the same length andproviding on the cam two eccentric cam surfaces 47b disposed indifferent angular relation about the cam axis.

It will be understood that the mechanism herein disclosed embodies meansfor (a) changing, adjusting or re-setting of the time carrying disks inthe event those time recording elements which are at any time inposition to make a record on the web B do not agree with the timeindicated by the clock mechanism 2 and (b) for indicating on the web Bsuch operation of changing, adjusting or re-setting these disks.

The foregoing means, parts of which are shown at 55, form no part of thepresent invention, for which reason these means are not more illustratedand described.

What we claim is:

In mechanism of the class described, the combination with an electricaldevice and a circuit and source of current supply for said device, of arotating member having a surface concentric to its axis and a contiguoussurface eccentric thereto and forming a shoulder between said surfaces,a pair of superposed, spaced resilient strips supported at one end andprovided on their opposed faces with contacts electrically connected tothe leads of said circuit, and arranged to close said circuit when saidstrips are relatively moved one toward the other, the opposite endportions of said strips beyond said contacts being cut away and theupper strip having a depending off-set to position its free end in sideby side relation with the free end of the lower strip and permit theirfree ends simultaneously to engage and ride on said concentric andeccentric surfaces of said cam with said contacts in disengagedrelation, said surfaces being arranged to support and flex said stripsto put them under tension while maintaining said contacts in disengagedrelation and said lower strip being longer than said upper strip,whereby the latter is released from said eccentric surface in advance ofthe lower strip as said shoulder revolves past their free ends to permitmovement of the. first released strip toward the other strip to effectengagement of said contacts.

MYRON D. MARKLEY. JOSEPH M. MARKLEY, JR.

